Best Free Games to Play While Staying Home From The Heat

It’s hot. There’s no beating around the bush, because you’d likely get exhausted, but this summer is set to be a painful one. All around the world, school closures are being lined up because of severe heat, there are extreme high-temperature warnings all over the place, and people are trying to stay inside to keep cool, but this just isn’t happening in some places.

Fortunately, you can take away the strain of dealing with the sweltering weather with some video games. If your school is closed because of the heat, you’re forced to work from home to avoid a sweaty commute, or you’re simply taking the day to lock yourself in some shade, these are the best free games you can play right now.

Stay Out of the Sun and Play Games

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world (provided you’re in the northern hemisphere), you’re probably dealing with extreme temperature warnings. It’s a safe bet that you’re staring down a school closure because of the heat, and that means you’re about to spend hours at home with nothing to do but sweat.

These are some of the best free games you can boot up right now to try taking your mind off that burning ball of gas in the sky.

Rocket League

Take the energy you would have spent outside and apply it to Rocket League, a free-to-play ‘rocket-car-soccer’ game available on basically all platforms – there’s even a mobile version. It’s totally free to download and it boasts some of the most entertaining multiplayer mechanics you’ll find anywhere.

Fortnite

Fortnite is the king of battle royale games and it has been around for almost a decade. If there’s a better free game to play while you’re sheltering from the sun, I don’t know what it is. Pick your landing spot, explore the island, defeat all comers, and see if you can secure the coveted final spot, all while enjoying the fact that your school is probably closed because of the heat.

VALORANT

If you’re feeling like something a little more competitive, consider jumping into VALORANT, a high-energy first-person shooter from Riot Games that has a stunning esports ecosystem. It’s easy for newcomers to get to grips with and you can explore a vast library of hero characters, each with unique abilities.

Marvel Rivals

It’s appropriate that you play Marvel Rivals while there are extreme heat warnings outside, as the game is currently going through a summer-themed season and is one of the hottest games on the market right now. If you’re a Marvel fan, you’ll love soaking up this free-to-play hero shooter with a stunning catalog of iconic characters.

League of Legends

It might end up making you feel a little more hot under the collar, but one of the most popular free-to-play games in the world is this legendary MOBA, League of Legends. It’s not entirely the most beginner-friendly game out there, but if your school is closing early or closing completely because of the heat, you’ll have more time to learn how to play, right?

The Sims 4

The Sims 4 has been a free-to-play game for years, and it’s easily one of the most popular ways to while away the hours while sitting indoors. Prop up a fan, switch on the AC, and start a new life in The Sims 4, which is free on all platforms, thanks to a change made by Electronic Arts a good while ago.

Overwatch

Overwatch is another hero shooter you can enjoy while staying out of the sun, and fortunately, there’s an all-new season waiting for you, along with a fresh hero character called Shion, who is super cool. That’s just what you want when it’s extremely hot outside, of course. Overwatch is totally free to play, too.

Where Winds Meet

Where Winds Meet is a huge open-world RPG set in ancient China, and it has been around since November 2025 on all platforms, including mobile. It’s an ambitious game that’s free to play, and it’s super easy for new players who don’t have much time to learn the ropes. You can also soar through the sky rather extravagantly, which might make you feel a bit cooler?

GeoGuessr

GeoGuessr is a hugely popular game that invites players to explore the vast world around them, presenting them with random locations on a map and asking them to guess where on the planet they’ve landed. If you get lucky, you’ll be transported somewhere snowy, which will help you remember what it felt like to not be a sweaty mess.

Fallout Shelter

Hide from the scorched Earth the right way: in a bunker underground. In Fallout Shelter, which is the most popular Fallout game ever made by sheer numbers alone, players must construct a typical vault and lead it as the ‘Overseer’, the head honcho in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. It’s free to play on all platforms, and it’s a nice, slow game to keep you cool this summer.

That’s about it for this list. If you’ve got another free game you’re playing while off school or work with these extreme heat warnings, do let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.

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